Knitting machine



Sept. 2-1 1937.

F G. WEISBYECKER KNITTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 29, 1955 Patented Sept. 21,1937 UNITED STATES xmrrme MACHINE Frank G. Weisbecker, Glenside, Pa.,assignmto Arcadia Hosiery 00., Lansdale, Pa... a corporation ofPennsylvania Application November 29, 1935, Serial No. 52,269

12 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in knitting machines, andmore particularly to flat or straight full-fashioned knitting machinesfor hosiery and the like.

In knitting machinery of this type, comprising lower end of the yarncarrier, and through which the thread or yarn is led. In normaloperation of such a knitting machine, the sinkers, the top edges ofwhich are slightly above the level represented by the lower end of theguide tube, are caused to recede within a sinker bed prior to returnmovement of the yarn carrier. In actual practice, however, due tosticking of the sinkers,

go or for other mechanical reasons, an individual sinker sometimes failsto properly recede, with the result that the guide tube of the yarncarrier comes into contact with the misplaced sinker and bends orfractures the same, consequently dis- 5 abling, temporarily at least,the knitting machine. Since the sinkers are usually required to be madeof comparatively thin material, such as thin sheet'steel, the guidetube, if of unyielding steel,

as is the customary practice, either breaks or permanently deforms oneor more of the sinkers so engaged. This breaking or deforming oi thesinkers may result also in breakage of needles, wasting of yarn,spoilage of work, and excessive loss of time through the necessaryshutdown of 5 the whole machine in order to remove and replacethedamaged parts and readjust the machine. It will at once be apparentthat the reduction in the amount of lost production time of this kind ishighly desirable and will improve the efficiency of the knittingmachine.

Moreover, in the manufacture of various type stockings, it is necessaryfor the operator to set the yarn carriers in different positions. Forexample, in plating, where two yarns are used, it is 5 necessary to setthe plating yarn carrier higher above the sinkers than it would be forstraight type knitting, where only one yarn is used and where thecarrier is set closer and lower to the sinkers. With the rigid guidetube of the prior.

art, much breakage and consequent loss of time often ensues before aproper adjustment of each yarn carrier can be made. Furthermore, in worksuch as plating, the operator must use extreme care and caution in orderto get perfect knitting.

During-the'preliminary adjusting period, there-.

fore, the entire machine is run at a very slow speed in order to lessenthe possibility of such breakage, because of the rigid character of the7 guide tube now generally used. Such slow running of the knittingmachine results, necessarily, 5 ma corresponding loss in production andincrease in overhead expenses. According to this invention, a yarnlayingdevice is provided with a yielding construction to permit the guide tubeof the carrier or its tip to 10 be so deflected, upon encountering anobstruction in its path, such as a sinker or other yarn looping member,as to obviate the above enumerated troubles and their attendant loss oftime and eillciency. 15

This invention also provides a. yielding carrier holder construction foruse with conventional rigid yarn carriers, so that the latter may beused interchangeably and may replace those used with the yieldingcarrier holder of this invention. an

Another object of this invention is the provision of a yielding yarnlaying device which will permit it's guide tube or tip to yield in theplane of it's travel in event of engagement with a yarn looping member,such as a sinker, to avoid con- 25 tact with other parts of the machine.

A further object is the provision of a yarn laying device with means forabsorbing shocks and thrusts imparted by the machine to the guide tubeor tip through the yarnlaying device. 534) Y Other objects of thisinvention and a more detailed description of preferred embodiments ofsame, will appear below in the description of the accompanying drawing,in which:

Figure I is a front elevation of a form of the invention, showing theyarn laying device in operative relation to the carrier bars, sinkers,dividers and needles of a straight knitting machine. Figure II is atransverse sectional elevation taken on the line 11-11 of Figure I.

Figure III is a front elevation of another form of yarn laying device. I

Figure IV is a side elevation of the yarn laying device of Figure HI andshows its relation, when operating, to its supporting carrier bar and asinker.

Figure V is a detail view in cross section, taken on line V--V of FigureIV.

In Figures I and II' of the drawing, three of i the carrier bars of aconventional full-fashioned tit hosiery knitting machine are illustratedat l0, l0. Normally these machines are provided with seven such carrierbars, and the latter are longitudinally reciprocated for layingindividual 'yarns controlled thereby between the needles and the sinkerbed-and along the sinkers and dividers of themachine. I

-'Ifhesinkerbed|loithemachinehastheusual sinkers II which alternate withdividers II.

These sinkers l2 and dividers II are movable relativeto the sinker bedii and toward a row of needles i'or looping the laid yarn around theneedles. The needles alternate with the sinkers II and dividers II, andeach needle is positioned similarly to the needle marked ilin thedrawin'g; In order to make the drawing clear, only one needle has beenillustrated in Figure I. Inasideviem'suchasl 'iguren, only one needle I4is normallyvisible and the other needles in the row are directly behindit. The sinkers I! in their looping movement are normally projectedacross the path of movement of the yarn carriers irom theiulllinetothebroken linepositio shown in Figure II.

go In the conventional machine of today, the de'-' vice carriedbyacarrierbar II for layingyarn alongthe sinkers lI-and dividers 13comprises the well known rigid straight carrier holder and rigid yarncarrier. I According to the embodiments shown in the drawing; the yarnlayin's device includes the conventional rigid yarn carrier ll,thelatter being shown subflantially as used in conventional practice; Toproperly position the lower straight yarn laying portion or end I 6,including a guide tube |I,-ot the yarn carrier-il,'

itisusuallyangularlydisposedwithrcspect to. the upper or carrier:proper'portion of the yarn 1 carrier il,so thata'bendorvertex occurs atII. In the reciprocation or the yarn carrier I! ior laying yarn,'yarncarrier portion I! and the-tube "move in a plane which (looking ateither Fig- V the II or IV is normal to not the paper and passes throughline marked a-a, while I the upperportion otcarrier "travels in an aniogularly disposed plane. 1

The conventional carrier holder is modified to permit shitting orrearward deflection oi theyam carrier portion i0 and guide tube II intheir plane of movement'and in either direction of travel orreciprocation in event'oif' their engagement with asinkerliinthedottedlineposition shown 'inPigureII.l'brthhpurposaasshownihl'ip' nureslandm'thecarrierholdercomprises twomembers llandjiwhichar'e'reversely bentinsotermediatetheirupperandlowerendstoprovideadiacentportionswhichareiacetoiaceand substantially parallel to yarncarrier end por-v Ition ".flhe adjacent face to face portions or membersII, II are pivotally secured together by a rivet ll 'withthepivotal axisnormal to the plane oi movement or yarn carrier portion iland guidetube". Springs" on opposite sides of thepivot or rivet 2| aresuitablysecured V.

EEE 25% II is rigidly and detachably connected in conven I tional mannerto bothacarrier bar ll andits yarn carrier II by screws or bolts It and24 re- 'spectively.

In the form of the invention shown in, Figures 5 III to V, the carrierholder for the usual yarn carrier I! comprises members 2!. ll similar tomembers II, II. In Figures III to V, however,

" members 20 and il are connected by one or more rubber rivets ll whichare vulcanized in place.

Theshanksoitheserivets 3i maybeot any suit- "able shape incross section,In the i'igures,.and particularly Figure V, the shanks oi'the rivetsRubber rivets 3i havethe additional tunctionoi 25 reducing and absorbingshocks, thrusts, and vibrations passing to the guide tube H from thecarrier bar ll through the yarn carrier device and, therefore, provide'ior more even operation oi'the guide tube il in laying yam. Asa'result,3

the machine will produce fabric with fewer defects than is possiblewhere no such construction is provided.

While the drawing illustrates two embodiments J of this invention,modifications of same will be- 35 apparent to the art. I, therefore,claim as part of my invention all variations or the illustratedembodiments within the limits of the appended In addition to theadvantages oi the yielding- 40 yarn laying device, described above, Ihave also found that knots and slubs will pass through such a devicewith much less likelihood of break--ageoi'thethreadoryarnthanisthecasewith r the still or rigid arrangementcustomarily (am-'46 'ployed. Thisresultappearstobeduetothefactthatlessierkingot'thethreadiscausedbythe e oisuchknots orslubsthroughtheyieldingdevic'ethanoccurswiththe'stifl and imyielding i'orm oiconstruction. I

By the use oi my invention, also, the amount of spoiled work, and theresulting'mending and said needles and said sinker bedfor laying yarnalong said yarn looping members, said end portion being angularlydisposed to the adjacent portion of the yarn laying device above anddirectly supporting said end portion, and a yielding connection abovethe said angularly disposed end portion and between parts of said yarnlaying device movable in a plane different from the plane of movement ofsaid-yam laying end portion, said connection permitting rearwarddeflection of said end portion in its plane of movement in eitherdirection of travel, in event of engagement of said end with a yarnlooping member, said deflection allowing said end to ride past theengaged yarn looping member.

2. The combination with a straight knitting machine having a sinker bed,a row of needles along said bed, and yarn looping members movable withrespect to said bed and toward said needles, of reciprocating means forlaying yarn along said yarn looping members, said means havingspacedapart portions for movement in parallel planes and an intermediateportion for movement in an angularly disposed plane, one-of saidparallel-moving portions including a yarn laying end and the other ofsaid parallel-moving portions including a yielding connection to permitrearward deflection of said yarn laying end in its plane of movement inevent of engagement of said end with a yarn looping member.

3. A combination as set forth in claim 1, in which the said connectionincludes a pivot and spring means for restoring said yarn laying end tonormal operative position after deflection.

4. A combination as set forth in claim '1, in which the said connectionis formed of elastic rubber.

5. A yarn laying device of the reciprocating type for straight knittingmachinesz-said device comprising a yarn carrier having its yarn layingend angularly disposed with respect to the carrier proper; and a carrierholder comprising a rigidly mountable member, a member detachablyconnected to said yarn carrier and rigidly supporting same, and meansarticulating said members to provide for deflection of said yarn layingend in its operating plane of movement when moved relatively to saidrigidly mountable member.

6. A yarn laying device of the reciprocating type for straight knittingmachines comprising a yarn carrier having itsyarn laying end angularlydisposed with respect to the carrier proper, and a holder for saidcarrier, said holder comprising pivotally connected members having thepivotal axis substantially normal to the yarn laying plane of movementof said angularly disposed carrier end when in use on a straightknitting ,machine.

"I. A yarn laying device of'the' reciprocating type for straightknitting machines comprising portions in different substantiallyparallel planes v and an intermediate portion in an angularly disposedplane, one of said parallel portions constituting a yarn layingend forthe device, and another of said parallel portions including a pivotalconnection having the pivotal axis substantially normal to the plane ofmovement of said yarn laying end when in use on a straight knittingmachine. v

8. A yarn laying device for straight knitting machines comprising a pairof members, one of which, includes a yarn laying guide end, and elasticmeans having the characteristics of rubber, securing said memberstogether to permit their relative angular and longitudinal movement andserving as a shock and thrust absorber for the yarn laying guide end.

9. A holder for a reciprocating yarn carrier of a straight knittingmachine comprising a rigidly mountable member, a member for detachablysupporting a yarn carrier, and means articulating said members toprovide for shifting of the yarn laying end of the yarn carrier in itsoperating. plane of movement when moved relatively to said rigidlymountable member and to restore said yarn laying end to normal position.

10. A yarn carrier holder for straight knitting machines comprising arigidly mountable memher, a member for rigidly supporting a yarncarrier, said members having reverse bends to provide parallel adjacentportions, and means for flexible securing said portions together in faceto face relation and permitting relative angular movement between saidmembers while maintaining said face to face relation.

11. A yarn carrier holder for straight knitting machines comprising arigidly mountable member,

a member for rigidly supporting a yarn carrier and ada'pted to bedetachably connected thereto,

and means formed of rubber for securing portions of said members in faceto face relation and permitting relative movement between said memberswhile maintaining said face to face relation, said rubber means servingalso 'to absorb shocks, thrusts and vibrations passing between saidmembers.

52. A yarn carrier holder for straight knitting machines comprising arigidly mountable member, a member for rigidly supporting a yarn carrierand adapted to be detachably connected thereto, and means comprising atleast one rubber rivet for securing portions of said members in face toface relation and permitting relative movement between said memberswhile maintaining, said face to face relation.

- FRANK G. WEISBECKER.

